Called up for the Mexico WCQ: http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/201...s-for-start-of-2016-hex-vs-mexico-in-columbus Hopefully it's based on sound advice from Klinsi's Euro scouts like Herzog and Hamann, but it still seems an odd choice.
Do we have better striker options today? Jozy, Wood, Morris (injured), Boyd (playing in reserves), Wondo (no thanks), Green (plays a 9 for Bayern, in the preseason at least, but questionably), Gordon (haven't seen any of him playing for LA this term), Sapong (nope), Rubin (not playing for a side like Utrecht doesn't bode well for his chances of getting a call-up). Where for art thou, American striker that isn't Jozy or Bobby Wood?
Two points on this: 1. JK is not a fan, the evidence for this is extensive and need not to be rehashed right now. 2. 7 goals in 24 games really isn't lighting up the league, and he only started 14 of his 24 games played. Revs loved him so much they went out of their way to bring a locker room pariah into the team.
http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/10/11/first-us-call-over-year-means-more-maturing-juan-agudelo 1. he was called in just last month..... http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/...leading-new-england-revolution-above-red-line 2. he really turned the corner the last half of 2016 in MLS...that shouldnt be ignored. so 7 goals in 14 starts is a reason not to call him up?? 4 goals, 3 assists in his last 7 MLS matches a reason not to call him up??? (plus a brace in the us open cup final during that timeframe as well) how about gordons numbers???? 3 goals, zero assists over the same time span.....
Agudelo's numbers would have looked a heck of a lot gaudier had someone told him to not play 3-bar. That being said, while I prefer Agudelo from a raw talent POV, he and AJ are roughly similar in that neither has been consistently healthy, and neither has looked particularly good when called in.
its not just numbers....its the eye test....agudelo is in way better form than either aj (who isnt playing in germany and hasnt scored from the run of play this season in germany) or gordon (who tries hard but isnt close to agudelo in terms of play on the field)
Gordon was called in for a reason tho. He's different from every other striker in our pool. Boyd would be closest but he's still just getting back. Also from the quotes it looks like he's a training camp body specifically and won't be apart of the final roster. Looks more like a scout player to prepare the US centerbacks for dealing with a high amount of crosses that we've seen from Mexico the last couple times we've played. Juan is the better player with a higher ceiling but this call is for preparation nothing more.
my last comment on this....he looked pretty good when he scored against mexico last year. im tired of JK wasting his bench like it doesnt matter who players 12-23 are....they matter...A lot!(.especially in tourneys but also in wcq's as well). and the best players available need to be in those slots...not role players and givers and unproven experiments and youth players. juan is --right now, at this moment in time--- ...clearly one of the top usa forwards on form and should be there.....he's not the only example of this i.e. players being left out. brinbaum and gonzalez and altidore and brooks can give plenty of header practice.....to each other without gordo. also...dont be so sure gordon wont play...klestjan was a last minute replacement not on the original roster recently.
Neither Gordon or Agudelo were going to get an awful lot of PT in either of these two games, nor do I think AJ will at that. I do think that as far as striker options go, Altidore, Wood, Morris are our top 3, and beyond that there is an awful lot of grey, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The only beholder that matters is JK in terms of NT minutes.
were you watching mls the last few months? juan and jozy are the 2 best us forwards right now..morris too but hes injured. to wood, he's certainly on my top 23, but wood's team never has the ball so its hard to tell what kind of form he is really in...plus he hasn't scored in league play in 2 months (which will most likely become 3 with his supension).
I've posted the stats a million times. Per minute, Agudelo was the most effective American attacker in the league, and up there with the most effective players in MLS. He plays in the wrong league though. Thats his biggest problem.
When Juan is the absolute unquestioned #1 starting forward for any bloody MLS team in future years, or transfers overseas and is doing well either as a starter or a sub (scoring goals off the bench or otherwise significantly changing games), then he should be in line for another call up. Until then does he deserve another call-up with Jozy, Wood and Morris doing what they are doing and have done internationally and for their club? Wood's production has dropped of late, but he is starting when not suspended in a top 4 Euro league. We don't have much in the way of strikers who are held in that kind of regard outside of MLS. In fact, we have none other than BW. Look, Juan may yet become a star for club and/or country. He just ain't right now. Otherwise he would be on this roster with all the injuries and poor form we have in the striker department at this very minute. We have two healthy productive strikers on the roster, and it ain't because there are others out there that are clearly as good and were just left off.
Juan is a terrible locker room presence. He also struggles with consistency, and he doesn't get many call ups. On the plus side, he is an in-form striker. If Juan didn't have those negative qualities, maybe he would've been called up. AJ and JA perform similar roles as crafty, technical forwards with good ball skills. Johansson plays in the Bundesliga, but plays for a bad team. Juan Agudelo is in form for a bad MLS team, but is in MLS, not a top 4 league. JK obviously is going with the one with the least baggage and most experience. Remember, Johansson made the WC roster, Juan did not.
lol, come on. I seriously have never read anything to the extent that he is a locker room problem. People complained about his training habits like 5 years ago. His current coach recently raved about his training habits, so I guess its not a problem anymore. Bobby Wood was kicked out of training less than two years ago. Is he a locker room problem? There were actually articles that he doesn't get along with the other players.
Of course he is, and Feilhaber is, and Landon was of course. Every time when Klinsman does idiotic thing that's a player fault and if one keeps on playing well he must be bad at locker room.
He is being known to kid around too much when he should be serious. But that info is about 3 years ago.
In other words, he was a goof-off because he was very young and didn't know when to get serious. Sometimes reputations will stay with you even if you outgrow it.